Koss KSC35 Portable Headphones: A Great Way to Upgrade a Portable MP3 or CD Player
Written: May 28 '03 (Updated May 28 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sound quality, price, comfort, uniquely effective earclip design
Cons: Somewhat difficult to put on
The Bottom Line: These headphones might be the best blend of comfort, sound quality & value in portable headphones. A great option for upgrading portable audio devices, as well as home listening.
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| nc10's Full Review: Koss KSC35 Consumer Headphones |
Koss' KSC35 Headphones are small, lightweight portable headphones perfect for active user with mp3 players, cd players, and other low powered portable audio devices. Since their introduction, Koss KSC35's blend of portability, comfort, sound quality, and very effective earclip design have resulted in high ratings in reviews as well as excellent "word of mouth" advertising. The reputation of these headphones was so good that when Koss replaced them with the KSC 50 model, the KSC35 model continued to sell well from inventory and on the used market, going for as much as much as $100 a set on Ebay. Though my experience with high end audio equipment is very limited, I've found these headphones to be outstanding when compared to other headphones I've purchased over the years in this low price range.
When I recently purchased one of Creative Lab's MuVo 128 MP3 players, I wanted to get an upgrade from the earbuds which came with the mp3 player. After researching portable headphones, I found several reviews and forum messages recommending headphones from Koss, Grado, and Sennheiser, including several very positive reviews for the affordable, but discontinued Koss KSC35's, and a few other reviews reporting that their replacment, the KSC50's, were pretty good, but not the equal of the KSC35's. One forum message even indicated Koss had recently resumed selling the KSC35's. A visit to Koss' website quickly confirmed that message, and with more searching, I found a couple of enthusiastic postings on message boards reporting that the KSC35 headphones recently purchased from Koss were still terrific. After purchasing a set from Koss, I can confirm that these headphones are a very worthwhile upgrade from the earbuds included with the MuVo 128.
The KSC35 appear to be only available from Koss website for $29.99 plus shipping ($6, though I was able to find a free shipping coupon). Delivery was about 5 days after I placed my order. "In the box" are the headphones, a very nice leather drawstring bag for storing the headphones (though somewhat different than the bag pictured on Epinions), and a gold plated 1/8" X 1/4" headphone jack adapter. The headphones themselves incorporate a right angle 1/8" goldplated headphone jack, and 4' long cable leading to two separate ear pieces with earclips. The earpieces are separate, just under 2" in diameter, with clips that fit around the back half and top of your ear and hold the earpieces comfortably but firmly in place, even if you're exercising or mowing they yard. (The cables and connections to the earpieces don't look very substantial to me, I am a little worried that these headphones will eventually develop a short at the earpiece or headphone jack.) The earclips may sound uncomfortable, but actually are just the opposite, it seems the size of the earclips and earpieces are large enough that the force required to hold them in place is spread out over all of your ear and becomes almost inconsequential. After a few minutes I can barely feel them.
Specifications and Listening
Frequency Response: 15-25,000 Hz
Impedance: 60 ohms
Sensitivity: 101 dB SPL/1mW
Distortion: less than 0.2%
Cord: Straight, Dual Entry, 4ft
Plug: 3.5 mm/6.4 mm
Weight: 0.7 oz.
The relatively low value for impedance is typical for portable headphones and indicates you should be able to drive these headphones even with the low milliwatt outputs from portable audio devices. I've found the sound from these headphones is loud enough to allow me to use these headphones while mowing my yard with the 5-7 milliwatt output from a mp3 player, and the volume is at least equivalent to the earbuds included with the mp3 player we bought these 'phones for.
Sensitivity is a measure of the headphones output per milliwatt of input, and a number in the high 90's or above 100 is expected for portable headphones. The frequency response is also very good. The sound from these headphones is very "full", clear and precise, with surprisingly strong (almost too much) bass. These headphones will also serve well for computer use or with a home stereo system, and even handles high volumes well. If you want to listen to painfully loud music you'll notice a bit of distortion in the bass. But if you just want to listen to your music loud enough to cause deafness after a few hours of use, then these headphones should be able to handle it without distortion.
After having owned (or given to two teen age children) and listened to several good mp3 and cd players over the past few years, I've found these headphones to be clearly better than the models included with those portable players.
Ordering/Manufacturer Support
Ordering these headphones through Koss was easy, and the phones were delivered quickly. When ordering through Koss, shipping, the buyer doesn't get to see shipping charges until after you input your credit card number. Notably, these headphones come with a life time warranty, just ship them back if they ever fail, though a $6 fee is required for shipping and handling. I am very pleased with these headphones, they are certainly not the most expensive looking model, and aren't available at distributors to allow price shopping, but at $30, I don't think you'll find a better sounding pair of portable headphones. Factor in the comfort and uniquely effective earclip design, leather storage bag, and lifetime warranty, and you've got a set of headphones every owner of portable audio devices should consider.
Mfr Website
www.koss.com
Recommended:
Yes
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